Luke 8:40-56
AVAILABLE
LIFE OF CHRIST #26
September 24, 2004 – My mother was in intensive care at the hospital. Her medical condition was deteriorating. Things didn’t look good. She had been on dialysis, and the kidney doctor wanted to do more dialysis. That morning I talked to two doctors who made it clear that it was time to say, “No more heroics.” It was time to let Mom go.
I asked one of the doctors to explain Mom’s condition to her sister, my aunt. I was afraid that Aunt Dot might not understand. He agreed. And as we made preparations to make that call, the chaplain of the hospital was present. He hovered as the doctor talked to my aunt. Then, as the doctor finished and moved away, the chaplain moved away until I had finished talking to her.
When I hung up the phone, I began to cry. The chaplain moved in, let me cry, and had a word of prayer with me. What he said wasn’t as important as what he did. He made himself available to me, when I needed support. In my ministry I have tried to make myself available to those who needed help. That day someone was available for me.
We like it when people are available to us in time of need. And most of us like to be available for family and friends when they need help or an encouraging word.
As we return to our study of the Life of Christ, we discover something that is not at all surprising. Jesus was and is available!
Last week we saw Jesus have a confrontation with a man who was possessed with a legion of devils. He then left to return to his home area of Capernaum, and instructed the man who had been healed to go home and tell the great things God had done for Him.
This week we meet two needy people to whom Jesus made himself available. One was the ruler of the local synagogue and the other was a woman who had been sick for twelve years. Through studying their lives, we learn four important things about the availability of our Lord Jesus Christ.
JESUS IS AVAILABLE TO:
THE HEAVYHEARTED - Vss. 40-42
THE HELPLESS – Vss. 43-48
THE HEARTBROKEN – Vss. 49-50
THE HOPELESS – Vss. 51-56
JESUS IS AVAILABLE TO THE HEAVYHEARTED
Vs. 40 – Jesus returns by boat to Capernaum.
After Jesus had healed the man possessed with demons, he was asked to leave the other side of the Sea of Galilee. You might recall that he had allowed the demons to go into the pigs, and the pigs, 2,000 of them, stampeded and went over a cliff, into the sea, and drowned.
Instead of seeking Jesus to heal others, the people of that area asked him to go and he did.
When He returned to Capernaum, there is a totally different response to Jesus. There is a huge crowd waiting for him to land. They probably wanted to see and/or experience more miracles.
Vs. 41 – There was a noted member of this crowd. His name was Jairus. He was the ruler of the local synagogue. I imagine that he already knew Jesus. As a ruler of the synagogue he would have been responsible for choosing those involved in the services, including those who would read and speak.
Vs. 42 – Jairus didn’t come to Jesus because he wanted a speaker. Jairus came because he was heavyhearted.
He had one daughter and she was so sick she was about to die.
Mark 5:23 - And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
There are many times when circumstances will make us heavyhearted.
· A sickness
· A financial problem
· A relationship problem between people
· Opposition of some kind
· A spiritual difficulty
Often the more we think about these things, the more heavyhearted we get. We get heavyhearted because we care about people and about ourselves. We get heavyhearted because we don’t handle these problems properly.
Jairus did the right thing. He came for Jesus. He sought Jesus’ help when he was heavyhearted.
What’s the first thing you do when you’re heavyhearted?
Do you seek God’s help? Do you seek out Jesus to go with you to face the problem?
Psalm 55:22 - Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
When Jairus entreated Jesus to come, He did!
When we are heavyhearted and we ask Jesus for help, He doesn’t have far to go. He is already inside of us, through the Holy Spirit. In fact He promised that He would not leave us in John 14:18, I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Whenever we are heavyhearted, let’s not try to bear the burden alone. Let’s ask for the help of the Lord Jesus!
There is another point of interest in this verse. It is the beginning of an extra burden for Jairus. The crowd was stupendous in size, and they were going along to. The crowd was pushing in and around them. This made for slow walking, especially because the streets were narrow.
Jairus’ daughter was dying. He would have been in a hurry.
Jesus was coming, but it would have seemed to Jairus, that He was moving slowly.
There are times when you will wish that Jesus would move faster, that there weren’t so many hindrances to the problem.
But remember this – Jesus is always on time. “He’s never too early. He’s never too late. He’s always on time.”
JESUS IS AVAILABLE TO THE HEAVYHEARTED
JESUS IS AVAILABLE TO THE HELPLESS
Vs. 43 – Here was a woman who had been hemorrhaging
for 12 years. She had a severe bleeding problem.
Mark 5:26 - And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
This woman would have been considered according to the Old Testament Law ceremonially unclean. She was not even to be touched by others.
If she had been married, her husband would have likely divorced her.
She was not allowed in the temple or synagogue.
She was probably a social and religious outcast.
And she was broke! She had spent all her money on doctors.
She was helpless and she knew it.
It is good to know when we are truly helpless like this woman. When we come to the end of ourselves and all our self efforts, then we are ready to turn to the Lord Jesus Christ for His help. That is exactly what this woman did.
Remember Luke 1:37, For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Vs. 44 – In her helplessness this woman did something significant. She touched the hem of Jesus’ garment by faith, expecting to be healed.
Mark 5:28 - For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
She was probably like many of her day who believed that just touching the garment of a holy person or being in their shadow could bring about a healing.
This woman’s faith was very imperfect.
This woman’s faith was not very knowledgeable.
This woman’s faith was full of flaws.
This woman’s faith was honored by God!
Alexander MacLaren “Her faith was very imperfect, but the main fact is that she had it.” Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture Volume 9, (Grand Rapids, Michigan, William B. Eerdman’s Publishing Company, 1944), p.243
Jesus often rebuked the disciples for having little faith. Luke 8:40-56 - PAGE 5
This woman had great faith.
Most important, I feel this woman had her faith in the right person.
Too often people put their faith in people, in circumstances, in themselves, in the government instead of putting their faith in God.
This woman was immediately healed!
Vs. 45 – Also immediately, Jesus stopped and asked “Who
touched me?” Jesus knew that someone had reached out to Him in faith.
He always knows when someone reaches out to Him in faith, He’s God.
Jesus stopped and inquired in order to assure the woman that she had done nothing wrong and that God had honored her faith.
Notice she didn’t speak up right away. She was probably afraid of Jesus not liking what she had done, and taking back the healing.
Vs. 45 – Peter speaks up, and this time with a good point, humanely speaking. “There’s so many thronging around you Lord, people are going to touch you. Why are you asking ‘Who touched me.’”
Vs. 46 – Jesus insists that someone had touched Him. Jesus
insisted that the person come forward!
Vs. 47 – The woman came and “fessed up”!
Was this difficult for her too do? Of course it was!
Not only had she gone in a secretive way to be healed, but her physical condition embarrassed her.
God had done a great thing for her. He should get the credit.
When God turns around a helpless situation, He should always get the credit.
Yes, you may feel uncomfortable when you tell others what great things God has done for you during a helpless situation. But He deserves the credit. He deserves the glory. He deserves the praise.
Vs. 48 – Notice that God honored the woman’s faith.
Jesus encouraged her to be of good comfort.
Her faith in Him had caused her to be healed.
She was to go in peace.
Oh how much help we miss because we do not come to God in faith!
How much comfort we miss because we do not come to God in faith!
How much peace we miss because we do not come to God in faith!
Hebrews 11:6 - But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Psalm 62:8 - Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
Another thing would have been accomplished. By announcing that she was clean, Jesus also paved the way for her to be accepted back into the social and spiritual community. In fact the head of the synagogue witnessed the healing.
But I think Jairus may have been less than thrilled! What about his daughter. She could die at any minute, and this woman has slowed down the whole process!
JESUS IS AVAILABLE TO THE HEAVYHEARTED
JESUS IS AVAILABLE TO THE HELPLESS
JESUS IS AVAILABLE TO THE HEARTBROKEN
And that’s exactly what Jairus became!
Vs. 49 – “Too late Jairus! It’s all over! She’s gone! Don’t
trouble the Master any more!”
Oh, the heartache!
Oh, the agony!
Oh, the disappointment!
Vs. 50 – But Jesus is there to say, “Don’t be afraid, Jairus.”
“Just believe, Jairus!”
“I will heal her, Jairus!”
Now, what about our heartbreaks?
Does every problem get fixed?
Does every sick person get better?
Quite frankly, the answer is “no”.
However the message is the same for us as it is for Jairus.
“Don’t be afraid!”
“Just believe!”
“I will heal!”
If you trust Him, the Lord Jesus will heal your broken heart.
If you trust Him, Jesus will give you peace.
The miracle He will perform will be in your heart!
“Have some of your carefully created castles been washed away? Mine have. Several times along my life's journey, I had nowhere to turn except into my heavenly Father's arms. There I remained quiet, soaking up his love for as long as I needed. Then I saw his hand begin a new creation for my life, a new direction, a new service for him and his kingdom. Waves need not always destroy. We must allow our heavenly Father to use them to redirect our lives.”
Jean Otto, Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992). Entries 2797-2798.
JESUS IS AVAILABLE TO THE HEAVYHEARTED
JESUS IS AVAILABLE TO THE HELPLESS
JESUS IS AVAILABLE TO THE HEARTBROKEN
JESUS IS AVAILABLE TO THE HOPELESS
Vs. 51 – Jesus entered the house privately.
Vs. 52 – There was such a thing as professional mourners.
They came in immediately to lament the death of a person. And burial would happen almost immediately.
This was a hopeless situation.
And yet Jesus says, “Don’t weep. She’s only asleep.”
Vs. 53 – They laughed Jesus to scorn, they mocked him. They knew that she really was dead.
And friends, people will mock you when you have hope in a hopeless situation.
Vs. 54-55 – He put the scorners out. They missed witnessing a miracle, because of their unbelief.
I wonder how many miracles we’ve missed because of our unbelief?
Vs. 56 – The child’s parents were astonished. You would
have been too. This was a different situation than the woman with the hemorrhage. She needed to make her situation known, because she was sneaking around. Jairus had already publicly shown his faith.
From Parade magazine comes the story of self-made millionaire Eugene Lang, who greatly changed the lives of a sixth-grade class in East Harlem. Mr. Lang had been asked to speak to a class of 59 sixth-graders. What could he say to inspire these students, most of whom would drop out of school? He wondered how he could get these predominantly black and Puerto Rican children even to look at him. Scrapping his notes, he decided to speak to them from his heart.
“Stay in school,” he admonished, “and I’ll help pay the college tuition for every one of you.” At that moment the lives of these students changed. For the first time they had hope. Said one student, “I had something to look forward to, something waiting for me. It was a golden feeling.” Nearly 90 percent of that class went on to graduate from high school. Source unknown http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=745
If a normal human being can give hope to a bunch of ghetto children, how much more can the God of the universe give hope to you?
What hopeless situation is bugging you?
Give it to the Lord.
Watch Him turn hopelessness into victory.
Jeremiah 32:17 - Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
Jeremiah 32:27 - Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?
JESUS IS AVAILABLE TO THE HEAVYHEARTED
JESUS IS AVAILABLE TO THE HELPLESS
JESUS IS AVAILABLE TO THE HEARTBROKEN
JESUS IS AVAILABLE TO THE HOPELESS